Monday, 12 January 2015

What is 'getting mummy savvy' all about?

Maybe you're wondering by now what my tagline is all about. Or maybe
you get the drift, but wonder why it's a bit grammatically askew. So I thought
I'd spend a wee bit of time explaining it.

Parenting is a huge learning curve for me. For most of us. But see, I work really
hard at being a mum. I sweat bucket loads (figuratively, not
literally. I am actually quite a delicate sweater). I'm always busy, always
thinking about what's next on the to-do list, instead of being present in the
moment and enjoying my kids. I criticize myself constantly for not doing a
better job. I should be better with quality time, should provide healthier
food, should take them out for new experiences more often. There's always
something that I feel I should improve on, or do less or more of. Always
something. My mind is so busy.

And then there's the other roles I have in life. As a wife, a friend,
an employee. I want to be better at all these things too. It’s so easy to get
caught up in one role and neglect the others. I also have personal goals.
I want to go out for cocktails, write a novel, get back into some exercise,
read more books. I want to wear accessories again. Sometimes all the things I
want to be and do gets overwhelming, but I'm not willing to sacrifice any of
it. I just want to figure out how to get it by making the best of what I've got
and the time I have.

So I thought, how can I be the best parent I can be and still have
time left over for me, and all that other stuff? The answer: get mummy savvy.

Just like tech savvy is about being clever, comfortable and happy with all
things technological, mummy savvy is about being clever, comfortable and
happy with being a mum. It's about working smarter, not harder to be the
best parent I can be and learning to be happy with everything I am
and have. It's about doing a great job as a parent and still having time
for myself somewhere along the way. After all, it's my life. And don't the
years start going by quickly when you've got kids?
Don’t get me wrong, I don’t have this mummy savvy. Not yet anyway. But
that’s what this blog is for. It’s my journey, and yours, if you like.

So how do we get mummy savvy? It has a lot to do with accepting
ourselves as mothers and shunning the pressure to be something we're not. It's
about working with our strengths and finding great 'mummy hacks' for the things
we need help with. It's about not sweating the small stuff and having a good
old laugh when things go pear-shaped.

It's also about looking after our other needs.

See, I believe we can have it all. It just depends on how much we want it.
Great kids, fulfilling job, healthy relationship, goals and
dreams for the future. Holidays, catch-ups with friends, time to put make-up
on. I'm determined to have all of these things. Just because I have four
children doesn't mean I can't have other dreams. It just means I have to work
harder - and by that, I mean smarter - to make them a reality.

So, if you are like me in any way and would love to embrace the mother
you are and not the one you think you should be, then you are definitely in the
right place. If you want to make room in your life for the other things that
you love, this is the blog for you. If you love a bit of a laugh at other
people's chaos, definitely stick around. Believe me, I have plenty of it to
share with you, and I will never be offended if you giggle away at my expense.

And in my quest for mummy savvy, I promise to pass on everything I learn to
you!
Maybe you can offer me some tips in return?

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Thanks for stopping by!

Hi, I'm Laney! I have four kids that include twin toddlers. They are all really cute and really needy. I write about our family chaos and the times I don't get this parenting thing right. Which is a lot of the time! But hey, that's what wine o'clock is for, right?